Zierdt Road Makeover Takes Shape As Fence Lines Shift

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HUNTSVILLE, Ala.(WHNT)-A makeover for one of Madison County's most congested roadways is starting to take shape.

Officials at Redstone Arsenal have been taking down the perimeter fence that borders Zierdt Road piece-by-piece in the last several weeks. It's all part of a massive road project that will widen Zierdt Road from two lanes to four by 2016.

Many commuters have likely noticed the shifting fence line over the last few weeks, a temporary eyesore that should ultimately lead to smoother and faster commutes. The new fence line that's being built sits approximately thirty feet to the east of the old line, which will eventually be covered by pavement.

Motorists we talked to said the widening can't happen quick enough.

"It's unbelievable, it's very busy," said Teri Walrath. "I think anything is an improvement at this point."

The estimated price tag on the entire project is $25 million, with roughly half of the cost being covered by ATRIP funds that the State of Alabama awarded last year. Project coordinators say the northbound lanes should be done by the end of 2014, with the southbound right-of-way to follow in 2015.

The entire project was originally scheduled to be finished by next year, but officials had to push their timeline back by twelve months due to funding delays that recently hit.